Seven Sins, Seven Virtues
by gocubsgo17
Summary: Gluttony, Diligence, Wrath, Patience, Envy, Kindness, Pride, Humility, Sloth, Charity, Greed, Chastity, Lust, and Temperance. Seven sins and seven virtues. Seeley Booth has them all. Post S6E9. Eventual B&B.
1. Gluttony

**A/N: Post-Doctor in the Photo and an eventual B&B fic, because I love happy endings. Depending on where these prompts take me, I may or may not change the rating to M. It hasn't been decided yet, but we'll see how this goes. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up by tonight :)**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Chapter One – Gluttony**

It had been a year since he heard Bones' confession. It had been six months since he asked Hannah to marry him. It had been six hours since Hannah left him standing at the altar.

He had only seen the movie once, with Rebecca, but the _Runaway Bride_ stunt was funnier in the movie than it was in real life.

He sat in the reception hall, utilizing the open bar that was supposed to be there for his wedding guests. He sat there alone, nursing a single malt scotch and praying to God that Gordon Gordon didn't come searching for him.

The chef and his best friend had sat next to each other in the church while he and Parker stood at the altar waiting for his bride. But she never came. There weren't any bridesmaids and Parker was the only other person standing up with them, so when she didn't come down the aisle, her mother stood from the front pew and walked to the back of the church. He waited with a nervous smile on his face. Parker had tugged on his dad's sleeve and asked where she was. Booth told him she was probably just a little nervous and that she'd be out soon. He looked at Bones, who was watching him with the same intensity as she studied her bones. Gordon noticed, whispered something in her ear, and she smiled at him. It calmed him and he didn't want to look away from her. But she was the one to look away first. Archer whispered something to her and she took his hand. That's when Hannah's mother came back through the doors and down the aisle, drawing his attention away from his partner and her boyfriend. She took Booth over toward the side entrance, the one usually reserved for parish staff. She slipped him a note, walked to the podium and announced that there would be no wedding today. Sorry for the inconvenience, she told everyone, but you can go home now. Booth sat down on a corner bench near the door. Bones could see Parker standing there with him, his small hand rubbing over his father's broad back to console him. As she fought against the swarm of people trying to leave the church, she struggled to see over them. She wanted to hug him, make sure he was okay. But when she finally reached where Parker and Booth had been, they were gone. She peeked out the window in the door and saw Booth's car pulling out of the back lot.

The only noise around him was the noise coming from the waiters they had hired to take care of guests. Hannah's family had spared no expense; they were happy that their nomad daughter was finally staying in one place. The wait staff was busy clearing the centerpieces and place settings from the tables around him and he focused on the bottom of his glass, listening only to the soft clinking of the plates and silverware being moved. But then he heard the soft padding against the carpeted floor. Someone went to the bar and told the bartender, I'll have what he's having. Then, his mysterious guest took a seat next to him. Booth didn't bother to look up before speaking.

"Dr. Wyatt," he said, "I'm not in the mood for one of your pep talks or some sort of analysis. So either we can drink or you can go."

"Booth, I'm not here to cheer you up. Okay, well, I am. But I know you. And if drink is what you want to do, then I'm all for it."

Booth glanced up at Hodgins. Like Booth, he was still dressed in his wedding attire.

"Let's drink then." They finished their current glasses of scotch and Booth went to the bar for two shot glasses and a bottle of tequila. He brought he bottle back and handed a shot glass to Jack. The first few, or ten, burned as they went down. But the close to the bottom of the bottle they got, the easier it was.

"Who sent you?" Booth wanted to know almost half way through the bottle.

"No one," Jack shrugged, attempting to play it off. They took another shot.

"You're lying. Was it Cam? Angela?"

"It was Dr. B," he confessed. Jack poured two more shots for them.

"Bones?"

They took the shot.

"Yeah, she was really worried about you. She said you probably needed time and space, but Dr. B. thought maybe it'd be better if I came to check on you anyway."

"Why didn't she come herself?"

Jack didn't answer but Booth already knew the answer.

"Archer," he mumbled.

Hodgins shrugged, not wanting to upset his friend even further.

"What does she even see in him?" Booth wondered aloud. His own words sounded harsh to him, but he was drunk, abandoned at the altar, and alone. Again. He was allowed to be just a little snippy.

"He's the head of pediatric oncology at GU's hospital, he's a vegetarian, he's traveled just as much as she has-"

"I get it, Hodgins. They're perfect for each other," Booth cut him off.

When the bottle of tequila was gone, Jack told him they were done.

"Come on. You can come home with me and sleep it off. You – we're not driving. I have a driver out front."

Booth shook his head. "I'm not staying at your place. I'll get lost inside. Your kitchen is bigger than my entire apartment."

"Pretend you're on vacation," Jack tried.

"Which wing am I staying in? North? South?" Booth deadpanned.

"My house is not that big. Plus, Ella would love to see you."

"Guilt-tripping me with the baby? That's a low blow, Hodgins."

Jack shrugged. "No one else plays peek-a-boo with her like you. She loves you."

"Yeah, well, you're lucky your kid is cute or I wouldn't be coming over."

Hodgins chuckled as he helped Booth up. "I'll make you a deal: come over, play with Ella for a bit and you'll feel better. If not, I'll take you back to your place."

"Deal. But once the baby goes to bed, you better break out a bottle of scotch."

"Booth, this pain isn't going to go away anytime soon. Drinking isn't going to help that."

Jack put him in the town car first and got in right after him. Booth immediately started going through the mini-bar and Jack closed the door, catching Booth's fingers.

"Well, drinking helps," Booth retorted, pulling his fingers back, "It takes the pain away just a little bit at a time."


	2. Diligence

**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Chapter Two – Diligence**

More than a week had passed and Booth had the same routine going every day.

Depending on how much he drank the night before, he'd spend the first few hours in the bathroom praying to the porcelain gods. For the rest of the day, he'd spend the day trying to get rid of his headache, catching up on paperwork and passing on cases to Charlie, who was more than willing to work with Bones. Booth was too out of it to work cases, but no one questioned him. Most of the bureau went to his almost wedding, and those who didn't had heard about it.

At night, before heading down to Wong Fu's, he'd call Parker just like always. Parker never brought up Hannah, and for that he was thankful. Rebecca had probably warned him against it. For once, he was glad his ex had meddled in his life. Booth and Parker would talk for a long time, normally up until his bed time. A few nights, it was hours. Booth had to remember to thank Rebecca for letting Parker stay on the phone for so long. But then, Booth had to say goodnight so Parker could sleep for school the next day, and Booth would hang up and his few moments of contentment ended. Parker was his only reason to get up in the morning.

So when Parker was asleep across town at Rebecca's, Booth made his way down to Wong Fu's. He sat at the bar, letting Sid serve him whatever drinks Sid thought suitable. And Sid usually forced him to eat, too. Booth knew if it wasn't for Sid, he wouldn't be eating and he'd get drunker quicker. At first he hated Sid for it. But whatever he gave Booth to eat, usually helped with his hangovers in the morning. They weren't as bad as they normally were. Whatever was in that soup or sandwich was a miracle worker.

But it had been a little over a week since Hannah had left him. And Booth woke up feeling decidedly different. There was no hangover, no time spent at the toilet letting his system get the toxins out and while there was no case to work, Booth stopped by the lab to check in. Everyone was surprised, but happy, to see him. No one brought up Hannah. Booth asked Jack and Angela how the baby was and wanted to know from Cam how Michelle was doing at college.

"Where's Bones?" he wanted to know when their conversation had died down.

"She's out to lunch," Cam told him.

"With who?"

"Archer," Angela said.

"Where?"

"I don't think so, G-Man, you're not about to go busting in on their date. Let them be," Cam said.

He sighed. "I don't want to ruin her date. I just want to say hi to Bones."

Jack checked his watch. "She said she'd be back soon if you want to wait."

Booth clapped his hands in excitement. "Yes! I'll wait. I'll go wait in her office." He left them standing there and went into her office and took a seat on her couch.

Hodgins was right. Soon after he sat down, he heard the clacking of her heels on the lab floor. After hundreds of visits and thousands of hours spent at the Jeffersonian, he knew it took eighty six steps from the sliding doors to her office. She stopped at eighty four.

"Thank you for lunch, Archer. I'll see you tonight?"

"Count on it. I'm making you dinner tonight. I'll be over by seven."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Booth didn't want to eavesdrop, but when the voices stopped, he turned to see what was going on. Archer's lips were pressed to hers and she smiled into the kiss. Booth looked away quickly, not one to intrude on another's intimate moment. It was still another minute before Archer and Temperance said their goodbyes. With one last quick kiss, Bones waved goodbye and stepped into her office.

"Hiya, Bones," Booth said as she hung her jacket on a coat hook. She jumped and turned around

"Booth! What are you doing here? Is Agent Burns unable to continue working the current cases?"

"Nah, Bones, Charlie's gonna finish the cases. I just wanted to come say hi. I haven't seen you in a while so I just thought…If you're busy, I-"

"That's not necessary, Booth. I haven't seen you since…" she let her words trail off.

"Yeah," he said shortly. He knew he'd need to talk about it. Get things out there. "So, how are things going with Archer?" he changed the subject.

She beamed at him. It was a smile that was becoming more frequent. He loved it. "Everything is quite wonderful. He's wonderful."

"That's great, Bones. I mean it. I'm glad you've found someone that can make you happy."

His words were sincere, but she saw pain in his eyes. Since the Eames case, she had changed. She was more receptive, open. She was more than just observant. She could feel others' feelings.

"Booth, I know you may not want to talk about this, but I'm sorry about Hannah. If you need anything, I'm here."

"Thanks, Bones. I just…I gotta move on."

"Three days," she quipped, "Three days for the brain to adjust." Micah's words had become just another one of those things that they would say to each other, one of those things that no one else understood.

"It's been a bit longer than three days," Booth told her.

"But you've adjusted to the idea?"

Her gaze never leaves him as she slips her lab coat back on and grabs notes off her desk. Her stare was an intense one, one that almost made Booth want to look away. But he held her eyes and didn't look away.

"Adjusted? Sure. Do I like it? Nah. But I'll be alright. I'll bounce back."

She smiled and nodded. "Angela told me not long ago that if someone you love hurts you, cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it. I've found that I've only recently succeeded in this, but it took me a while. Having someone there for you helps."

Booth smiled, but he wondered how badly he had hurt her a year ago.

"Who are you and what have you done with Bones?"

She looked confused for a moment before smiling back at him. "You are being humorous," she said, laughing.

"Yeah. You've changed Bones. And in a good way."

She smiled brightly at him again. "I need to get to work. Do you want to get lunch tomorrow?"

"You don't have lunch plans with Archer?"

Bones shook her head. "He has lunch meetings with the hospital board tomorrow. They're trying to get more funding to fix the play room on the pediatric oncology floor."

He nodded. "Then yes. I'd love to. Diner?"

"I thought that was obvious," she grinned.

He shrugged and smiled. "Just checking. Get back to work. I'll meet you at the diner at noon?"

"Deal. I'll see you then. If you need anything, if you want to talk or-"

"I'll call," he said as they walked out of her office. She smiled at him, tied her hair up and walked to the platform.

_If someone you love hurts you, cry a river, build a bridge and get over it. _He had cried his river. Now he needed to start building the bridge. And tomorrow's lunch was the perfect start.


	3. Wrath

**A/N: Next up: Patience and Envy**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Wrath**

He knew Bones had spent all day working on their dinner, just as she had so long ago, except this time, he was alone. She had Archer. Angela and Hodgins were bringing Ella.

Things with Bones and Archer were getting serious. They had been dating for eight months now and were showing no signs of slowing down. Two months ago, after Booth had picked himself up, Bones had told him at lunch that Archer wasn't too serious, that she wasn't looking for anything long-term. But since then, something changed. She was spending more and more time with Archer, and less time around the lab. They had gone on a two week vacation to Mexico _just because. _In the years he had known her, Bones had never taken a vacation to relax. Her idea of relaxing was spending her days knee deep in a pit full of ancient corpses. So when arrived at her place, Booth was early. He wanted to help her prepare dinner, spend some time with her before the rest of their guests arrived and everyone's attention was focused on little Ella.

She told everyone that day to arrive at seven. And he had eavesdropped on her conversation with Angela. He heard her say Archer would be late; things at the hospital were keeping him very busy, much to her dismay. That might've been why he decided to show up early, but he wasn't ready to admit that. It had been a while since they had spent some time together, just the two of them. He missed spending time with her. He missed _her_.

It was six o'clock. He knocked on the door and heard her move from the kitchen to the entryway to answer the door.

"Booth! You're early!"

She stepped aside to let him in. Booth passed her the bottle of wine he had brought. She told him he didn't need to do that, but he insisted it was no big deal, especially if she was making dinner.

"I'm making your favorite," she told him as she walked back into the kitchen.

He followed her. "Macaroni and cheese?"

She smiled and nodded. "It's Archer's favorite too. He's quite fond of it, though he doesn't add the extra salt like you do."

Booth smiled slightly and shrugged. "Can I help you?"

"No. I have things under control. Thank you, though."

But he didn't leave the kitchen. He watched her move gracefully around her kitchen, preparing their dinner and humming to the soft music that played in the background.

Booth's sniper senses, which Parker frequently compared to Spiderman's spidey senses, awoke as he heard the door open and shut softly. Not wanting to scare Bones, he didn't say anything, but he waited to see who would come around the corner. Archer peeked his head around and smiled at Booth. Putting a finger to his lips, telling Booth to be quiet, Archer came up slowly behind Bones and wrapped his arms around her waist. She let out a yelp.

"Boo-" she began to protest, thinking it was her partner. But she spun around in his arms and when she saw Archer's face, Bones grinned. Without saying a word, she kissed him. And it was only disrupted by another knock on the door. Reluctantly, she pulled away to answer it.

"Don't worry, Bones. I'll get it," Booth told her. At his words, Archer kissed her again. Something was bothering Booth. He could feel it. Though he was normally the best at reading others' feelings, detecting his own wasn't his specialty.

The Hodgins family was on the other side of the door and for a few moments, Booth's thoughts were distracted by the dark haired, blue eyed little girl in front of him. Ella Temperance Hodgins was the most spoiled little girl on the eastern seaboard. Every time Booth got to spend time with his goddaughter, he wondered if he'd ever have a little girl of his own. He wasn't getting any younger and a relationship seemed almost impossible now. Jack and Angela had walked to the kitchen but immediately came back to the living room.

"Uh, let's stay away from the kitchen for a few more minutes," Hodgins suggested.

"God, their make out sessions are hotter than the center of the Earth. I'm a little turned on by it," Angela mumbled.

It took all of the self-control Booth had to not storm into the kitchen to pull that man off of Bones. Minutes later, Bones emerged from the kitchen with pink lips, swollen from her quick romp in the kitchen with Archer. The sight made Booth clench his fists and his short fingernails dug into his skin.

"Does anyone want some wine? Booth brought a great white."

A murmur arose and Archer appeared with glasses of wine. Dinner finished soon and seating arrangements mimicked those from their last group dinner over a year ago. Though, this time, Booth sat alone, while Bones on Archer's right. Booth barely spoke at dinner, keeping his eye on Bones' interactions with Archer. And that's when he realized something.

Bones had changed.

_I can't change. I don't know how._

Her words haunted him now. Looking into her eyes, it was obvious. She was in love. In love with a man who was more than perfect for her. But was Archer Samson worthy of her? Booth had done something he always did. His background check reviled only good things about the man that currently held his partner's attention. He worked multiple pro bono cases, donating everything he could to help out sick kids in need. The nurses and other doctors that worked for the head of pediatric oncology could only say wonderful things about him. He helped kids in third world countries, building clinics and caring for those with nothing.

The woman in front of him had changed for the better and he was on the losing end. She missed her moment and then he missed his. Again.

They had missed their moment.

His anger, his frustration was boiling. How could this happen to him again? How could he miss his chance so many times? First, he was in love with a woman who didn't believe in love. Now, he was in love with a woman who was in love with another man. He knew he had bad luck, but was it really that bad?

"I love you," he heard Archer whisper. He counted down the seconds until Bones would freeze and run.

"I love you, too."

Whatever Booth felt in his chest, it felt like his insides were on fire. Was it jealousy? Maybe. Regret? Probably. Regret for letting her go to Indonesia, for letting Hannah come between them, for letting Archer come between them. More than anything he wanted to be Archer right now, to be worthy of her, to kiss her soft lips.

Booth pulled his phone from his pocket, pretended to check it and announced, "I have to go. I'm needed down at the Hoover."

"Is it a case?" Bones asked, getting ready to go with him.

"No. Thanks for dinner. Bye, Ella." He kissed the little girl on her forehead and walked out without goodbyes to anyone else. Slamming the door with more force than he should've, he went to the elevator and pushed the down button with enough force to break it.

"Booth," Bones followed him out to the hallway. He wanted to ignore her, but she deserved more than that.

"Booth, is everything alright?"

He nodded curtly. "Have a good night, Bones."

"Temperance?" Archer called from the apartment. She looked over her shoulder to see if he was coming, but she turned back to Booth, gave him a quick smile and disappeared back into her apartment, closing the door behind her.

He wanted to stop her. God knows how much he wanted to tell her how much he had messed up, how they had both messed up and that he'd give anything for a chance to fix it. But his temper got the better of him. He punched the wall just above the button panel for the elevator, leaving a gaping hole in the drywall. The elevator arrived and he left, feeling no better than when he arrived. This moving on stuff wasn't so easy.


	4. Patience

**A/N: Okay, here's my Bones math to figure out what the date is in this fic: May 2010, they left for seven months. So that would make it December 2010 when season 6 started. S6 started three months ago so that would make it March 2011 for the winter hiatus. And when this fic starts it had been a year since DitP, making it March 2012. By then, Archer and Bones had already been dating for three months, and in this chapter, they've been dating for a year, so that would make it January 2013, right? This is so confusing. Let's just go with it.**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Patience**

He strolled down the street, hands in his pockets and deep in thought. Just over there was where he had shot the ice cream truck. Though frustrated, the look on her face was…adorable. That was if Temperance Brennan could be adorable. And right there was where he had told her there was more than one kind of family. That was one of the first moments he wanted to kiss her until she couldn't breathe. Just across the street was where Avalon Harmonia told him she was in trouble. And again, he saved her life. And in the Diner itself, the counter was where ate breakfast with her as his wife in his dream. Their table was where they had held so many late night conversations, so many discussions, debates and arguments. This intersection alone held so many memories, memories of _them_.

When he reached the Diner, he peeked in the window and saw Bones and Archer having a lively conversation. Last time, it was about controversial treatments for brain cancer in a five year old. The time before that it was about recent findings of hominids in Africa. No matter what they talked about, Booth usually had a hard time following. He walked in, hoping this lunch would go better than the others. And from the sounds of it, it would.

"Are you kidding?" Archer said, "The Capitals have Alex Ovechkin!"

"The Flyers are definitely the better team. They've got Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, and Chris Pronger! Flyers will be playing for the Stanley Cup again this year, I can guarantee it."

Archer smiled and waved her off. "You pair Ovechkin with Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom, you can't beat them. They're unstoppable!"

Bones looked up and saw Booth watching them. "Booth, you need to settle this…debate. Please."

He joined them. It was always a confusing choice on where to sit. Bones and Archer always sat across from each other and Booth always picked sitting next to Bones, only because he thought it would be awkward knocking knees with Archer.

"Archer, you have a point about Ovechkin and the rest of the Caps. They're good. But no one's gonna beat my Flyers this year. No way, no how."

He and Bones high fived. Archer smiled and shook his head in defeat. "I have to say, Temperance, I'm quite impressed by your hockey knowledge. I learn something new about you every day.

"Well, Booth taught me everything I know. He's the only reason I've even watched hockey."

"I know someone who has a box at the Verizon Center. We should all go the next time the Flyers are in town. And you can bring your boy, Booth."

"Parker would love that," Bones told him.

"Yes, he would," was all Booth could say. He struggled enough seeing Bones and Archer together at the lab, the diner and her apartment. And then there were the late nights when he needed to pick her up for a case and she wasn't even there. He'd call her and she'd be at Archer's. He had to pick her up there a few times and by the look on her face, it was obvious what he had interrupted. In the year Bones and Archer had been dating, he had never heard talks about one moving in with the other, but he had heard their conversations of things left at the other's place. They might as well move in together.

Booth shook it off. He couldn't think about that anymore. The waitress arrived and Booth ordered, but by the time he was done, Archer and Bones had already started talking about something else he didn't understand.

But this time was different. It was about something that had happened on a date of theirs so long ago, something that Booth didn't understand, like an inside joke.

She smiled and took a sip of her coffee. "He is going to haunt you in your sleep one of these days."

"I thought you didn't believe in ghosts?"

"Did you just admit he's dead?"

"Nah," Archer started laughing again, "He's off playing with his friends in the woods."

Booth didn't understand what was going on. "Uh, who are we talking about?"

Archer and Bones shared a look and burst out laughing. He didn't say anything, just waited until they stopped laughing. Bones spoke first.

"Archer and I were driving around Arlington looking at the houses and it was late. We were driving on a back road and we ran over a raccoon. I'm convinced he killed it-"

"But the little guy's still alive. I know it," Archer said.

"He is not! You just don't want to admit I'm right."

He shook his head softly, "Babe, you're usually right. But not this time."

She laughed. And Booth prepared for an argument. Archer had called her _babe_ in public, in front of someone else. But they just kept talking. Wait, looking at houses? What did that mean?

And she didn't mind being called babe? She hated being called Bones at first, so had he just called her babe enough that she got used to it?

Was this what it was like for her to see him with Hannah? Did she feel out of the loop? Had she felt like the third wheel? He had never meant to make her feel like that and he was sure Bones never meant to leave him out, but he couldn't help but feel like she didn't need him anymore. And maybe she didn't. But they were still partners, they still needed each other in a professional capacity. Booth had wanted to talk about their case, but she was already deep into a conversation about scalpel techniques with Archer. So he sat and listened the two doctors compare how they hold the scalpel and a few innuendos about Archer's scalpel that made Booth blush. There was some information he didn't need, like just how much time his partner and her boyfriend spent doing the horizontal tango.

Booth's food arrived and it provided him a welcome distraction. He tuned out their conversation while he ate.

"Booth? So? Can you help?" Bones nudged him.

He swallowed his bite of hamburger before answering. "Help with what?"

"You haven't been listening. I'm moving into Archer's place. Can you help me move my things?"

Despite the current drink of water he was taking, his throat felt dry. "Uh, what are you going to do with your apartment?"

"My father is going to sublease it from me. The place he's living now is not the greatest. But can you help me? We want to have my things in there by the end of the weekend."

"Oh," Booth nodded slowly, "Of course I can help."

She smiled. "Thank you, Booth. I need to get back to the lab. Call me when the locals have the suspect in interrogation. I'll see you at home, Archer."

"Bye, babe." They kissed goodbye and she left. It was a couple of years ago, he would've been excited for her. And while he's happy for and proud of her, Booth couldn't help but think he was moving one step backwards while Bones was running four steps ahead.


	5. Envy

**A/N: Next up: Kindness and Pride. Please, everyone, don't stress. It **_**WILL**_** be a happy ending. There's a reason angst is listed before romance in the genre category. This will be angsty for a couple of more chapters. I have this story all planned out, and while the content of the chapters are still tentative, the end result will be the same. The **_**sin**_** chapters are probably going to be a bit more angsty than the **_**virtue**_** chapters. I know this is super angsty now but please have faith (in me and the characters) that everything will work out eventually.**

**Sorry this update took so long. I was focused on finishing _Love on the Inside_ and I spent the day wrapping Christmas presents and freaking out because I forgot someone on my list. Oops!**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Envy**

It was late on a Monday night and the entire team was supposed to testify the next day. Cam had let everyone out early that day to prepare and rest up for the long day of cross-examinations ahead of them. But Booth wasn't surprised when he showed up at the lab anyway and found Bones' office light still on. He made his way to her office quietly, hoping to sneak up on her. The lights were dim, and he thought maybe she was asleep on her couch, but when he peeked in, she wasn't alone.

Archer was there and they were both asleep on the couch, Bones with her trial notes and Archer with his medical case files. She was lying in his lap. And at some point, Archer had put the blanket over her, because she refused to do it herself. She wasn't worried about the trial; she knew the case backwards and forwards, but anytime the press made a trail into to something bigger, she felt the need to stay here longer than necessary to study her files, notes, and anything else she could get her hands on. She had requested Booth's notes and he had told her he'd drop them off as soon as he was done going over them for himself.

He hated to wake her.

Scratch that. He didn't mind if it meant she would get off of Archer.

So he waltzed into her office and started tapping her foot.

"Bones," he whispered, "Bones, wake up."

She didn't move, but Archer did.

"Hey, Agent Booth. Let her sleep. She was up late last night and you guys have that big trial tomorrow."

"I gotta talk to Bones," he said, ignoring Archer's statement. Booth started tapping her again and yanked off the blanket, hoping the cold lab air would startle her.

"Agent Booth," Archer said, using the doctors-are-superior tone that Booth had come to know and despise during his many hospital stays, "She needs to sleep. Leave her alone. I'll tell her you brought the notes by." Archer gently slid his legs out from under Bones' head so he could stand, so he could actually confront Booth.

"Dr. Samson, I appreciate it, but I have to talk to her."

"About what?"

"It's classified."

Archer scoffed. "Whatever it is, it can wait until morning. Tempe is always up at the crack of dawn anyway. You can get up early as well and talk to her then. But for now, Tempe needs to sleep."

"Don't tell me what _Tempe_ needs," he said her name like it was the wrong one, like it was just a nickname from someone who really didn't know her, "Bones needs to wake up."

"I'm up," she said from the couch, not opening her eyes, "What is it, Booth?"

"I need to talk to you about the Binns case."

"What about it?"

"We haven't found Cassandra Singleton yet."

"Booth, we just found out today that she's connected so it's not surprising she isn't in custody yet," Brennan said. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Oh. Well, I just wanted to let you know. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow at the courthouse, then."

He didn't hear her say goodbye. He couldn't hear anything. He could only see.

He saw what he wanted. He wanted to have that back, to have their friendship back, to make things right again between them. He missed their late night dinners, singing _Hot Blooded _on the way to a crime scene, helping her with pop culture references before she embarrassed herself.

And he saw what he didn't have. He saw Archer wrap his arms around her. He saw Archer press a soft kiss to her hair, then tilt her chin up to kiss her lips. They stayed like that for a long time, unaware that he was still there. Archer was holding her. Not Booth. He didn't have anyone to hold at night, to wake up to in the morning, no one to make breakfast for, to watch movies with or to take walks with.

Time and time again, he dreamt of holding her like Archer was. He wanted to make her feel protected, feel safe, feel loved. Could Archer protect her? Was Archer a skilled sniper? Maybe this man was good for her, sure. But he wasn't Booth. He told himself there was no way Archer Samson was better than Seeley Booth. So, if that was the case, why was she with Archer? He was handsome, or as she would say, symmetrically proportional. He was tall, rich, and they looked good together. So why was that, if they were so perfect together, things seemed…wrong? Archer didn't know her like Booth did. Or did he? He rarely saw Bones outside of the lab anymore so had things between them developed more than he knew? It had taken years to get all of Bones' stories out of her. Had she told Archer things about her that no one else knew? Did Archer know her past? Did he know how many times she's looked death in the face? Did he know her hopes and dreams, her aspirations, her goals? Did he read her novels? And since everyone had their own suspicions about the partners, did he question her relationship with Booth after he read the things that Andy and Kathy had done? And most importantly, did he believe her when she said she and Booth are only partners? Of course he believed her. They're in love. They lived together. Their life was perfect.

And Booth could only watch them from a distance, watching Archer hold the woman they both love, pissed that he wasn't in the other man's shoes.


	6. Kindness

**A/N: Next up: Pride and Humility. The next one should be up by tomorrow at the latest.**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Kindness**

"Do you hate Archer?"

"Um, that question came outta left field there, Bones. Wanna tell me why you're asking?"

They were in her office, waiting for test results so they could call Caroline, have her sign the arrest warrant and then make the actual arrest. She was impatient, bored, and the awkward silence that had filled the room was unbearable.

"Whenever you and Archer are in the same room, you are polite to each other. And that in itself is somewhat a lie. You two are hardly civil to each other. I asked him the same question this morning while we ate breakfast. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll tell you what he said. Archer told me that he doesn't hate you exactly. He just hates how things are between us."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He knows what happened between us, Booth. And he knows how close we used to be, and although he sometimes teases me about me being Kathy and you being Andy, he seems to do that just to get a rise out of me. He knows it's not true. But he said he feels bad for how…off our relationship has been for the past…who knows how long it's been since our friendship took a slap-"

"Took a _hit_, Bones. But, nice try," he said.

Bones ignored him and continued, "When I left for the Maluku project, I had no idea that coming home would make things worse between us."

"It didn't help that you didn't write."

"May I remind you, Booth, that you didn't write either."

He laughed sarcastically. "Okay, tell me, how would I have addressed that envelope? Dr. Brennan, An Island in Indonesia. You never gave me an address, Bones. I told you where my base was as soon as I found out."

"Conversing during our sabbaticals would've completely ruined the point of taking the sabbaticals in the first place! And we're getting off topic. How do you feel about Archer?"

"He's a good guy," Booth said. He meant it, but what he didn't say out loud was_ he's just not good for you._

"I'd really like it if…you two could get over the alpha male tendencies you both experience when it comes to me."

"You want us to be friends?"

"At least be amicable to each other," she compromised.

In the months she had been with Archer, he had been about as nice as possible to the man who was infiltrating their team. Archer had charmed Angela and Cam and he had impressed Hodgins and Sweets. By all means, he was already a member of the team. A member that didn't solve murders with the rest of them, but a member nonetheless. Ella Hodgins loved him and Parker thought he was pretty awesome, though that could've just been because Archer's friend had box seats to the Verizon Center. Archer was always invited to post-case drinks at Founding Fathers and he always sat in Booth's seat at the Diner. But Booth had to admit, when he and Archer weren't having some sort of pissing match about Bones' well-being, Archer was a pretty cool guy. They had discussions over their respective hockey teams, debates about politicians, and talks about what new movies would be worth seeing. If he wasn't dating Bones, he would've been a pretty good friend.

Saying Archer was the enemy sounded childish to Booth, but so did calling him his competition. Booth had simply come to realize he was the other man in Bones' life. Not in the way that Booth was a dirty mistress, only in the way, that if Bones understood relationships like he did, she might've come to the realization that Archer could very well accuse her of cheating. Every moment she wasn't with Archer, she was most likely with Booth. But in their relationship, Booth being the other man in her life only meant that he was her partner.

"Amicable? I can do amicable."

She smiled. "Thanks, Booth."

"No problem, Bones. If it makes you happy, then I'm happy."

She smiled a little wider and as if on cue, Archer strolled in. "Hey, babe. Hey, Booth."

"Hey, Archer," Booth greeted him while Bones greeted him in entirely different way. When she released him from the kiss, Wendell knocked on her office door.

"Dr. Brennan, can I talk to you for a minute? I found something strange on the skull of Jane Doe 364 from Limbo."

"Do we have to call it Limbo?" Bones asked no one in particular as she followed Wendell to the platform, leaving Archer and Booth alone.

"Did she have the talk with you too?" Archer broke the silence.

"She did," Booth said with a nod.

"Can we be civil to each other? For her sake? I know you don't want to hurt her anymore than she already has been, so I guess we should try getting along when we're with her, not competing for her attention."

"You're the one that turns it into a competition, man, not me," Booth held up his hands in surrender.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. Don't try to make me the bad guy. I'm the one she comes home to. You missed your chance, Booth. I'm sorry to be so harsh, but that's how it is. Now, can we be nice or are we going to have to fight for custody?" Archer said, somewhat jokingly.

"I already have one custody issue," Booth said, referring to the lack of time he spends with Parker, "Let's not make it two."

Archer nodded. "Good. It'll make her happy. And that's what we both want, right?"

"Of course."

There was a moment of silence between the two men. Archer sized Booth up, peeked out the office window to see if Bones was coming back and when he was satisfied that she wasn't, he said, "I know you love her."

Booth said nothing.

"I can see it. And she told me about what had happened between you two. I know a second or third chance is what you want, but it's too late. I love her and I'm not about to let her go. I'm sorry you missed your chance, but you can't keep pining over a taken woman."

"She won't marry you, you know." Booth spoke calmly, even though Archer's words had gotten under his skin. There was no way Booth was going to fight the good doctor in Bones' office. It wouldn't be right and she probably wouldn't forgive him.

"I know how she feels about marriage. But she's changing her mind, I think. I haven't been pushing her. I know it was a big step for her when she moved in. Soon, and don't ask me when because I don't know, but soon I want to ask her to marry me. And if she says no, fine. I'm okay with it. But she's changing, Booth. She's not the woman she was fifteen months ago when we met. And change is a good thing."

Bones poked her head into her office. "Booth, Hodgins confirmed Morgan Howser was in that car. I already called Caroline and she's signing the warrant now. Let's go arrest out suspect." She left, without so much of a goodbye to Archer. Booth grabbed his suit jacket and headed for the door. When he reached it, he stopped and turned back to Archer.

Without any civility at all, Booth said, "Just remember that for Bones, work always comes first. And that includes me."


	7. Pride

**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Pride**

His phone rang only once before he answered. He was waiting for Parker to call but it wasn't his son on the other end.

"Booth."

"Um, Booth?"

"Bones? What's wrong?"

Her voice was laden with tears and he could tell, even though he couldn't see her, she was struggling to hold in her sobs.

"Are you at home?"

"Yeah. Bones, are you okay?"

She ignored his question and asked her own, her own voice sounding childlike. "Can I come over?"

"Of course, Bones. Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'm almost there."

"Okay. Door's open."

They hung up and he began to pace. Something was wrong and it scared him. If it had anything to do with Archer, the doctor was a dead man. Minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Bones, you don't have to knock. What's wrong?"

Her eyes were red from crying. Mascara had streaked down her cheeks. The tissues she held in her hand were falling apart. Booth wondered if she had been able to see out the window while she was driving. She didn't say anything, only lunged herself toward him. He hugged her and let her cry, not caring how much makeup she left behind on his shirt. It felt good to have her in his arms, even if the reason she was there in the first place was messed up.

"Shh, it's alright, Bones. I gotcha. It's okay." Like he had done it for years, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, hoping to soothe her. She said nothing and cried into his shoulder some more. Booth nudged the door with his foot, closing it, not wanting to let his neighbors spy on them. "Come on, let's go sit down." He guided her to the couch and sat close to her. "Do you want to talk?" She shook her head. "Do you want a beer?"

"Scotch?" she requested.

"Scotch it is." He disappeared for a moment into the kitchen and brought back two glasses and the bottle. He poured quickly and the moment he had finished pouring one glass, she took it and drained it. Booth was somewhat shocked. It had been a long time since he had seen her like this and it scared him a little. He was scared there was something wrong and he wouldn't know how to fix it. He took a drink from his glass and set the bottle back down. When she realized he wasn't going to pour her more anytime soon, she grabbed the bottle and poured more for herself. Again, she emptied her glass, but this time, instead of pouring more, she sat back on the couch.

"Bones, what's wrong? I'm going to keep asking until you tell me so you might as well just spill it."

"Archer and I had a fight…if you could even call it a fight."

"Bones, I'm sorry."

"He doesn't understand the pressure I'm under. These cases…it's completely different when kids are involved. These children are killed for no reason!"

Booth moved closer to her and put an arm around her. She leaned into his embrace and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"Bones, people who aren't in our line of work don't understand. It's hard to explain what we go through to catch these guys. Anyone not in our shoes can't know what it feels like to work cases like these. I know Archer has it rough, working with sick kids, but he at least has a chance to see them become healthy again. We don't get that chance. We can't bring these kids back."

"Archer thinks it's easier for us because we never knew these children while they were alive. He sees children die of cancers that have progressed too far or that are extremely rare and he watches families fall apart because of it. But we see it too, Booth! We have to tell people that their child is dead! I hate it, Booth."

"I do too, Bones. It's not fair that murder even exists, but if it didn't, we wouldn't know each other," he told her, trying to make her smile, "and I'm really glad I know you, Bones."

Bones attempted a smile and it was all he could ask for. She poured a full glass of scotch and drank it without hesitation. "I'm glad I have you, Booth. You're a good friend. I'm sorry I got makeup all over you."

Booth looked down at his shirt and shrugged. "It'll wash."

"Do you we'll be okay? Archer and I? Do you think we could work this out?"

He didn't answer. He wanted to tell her exactly what he thought about her boyfriend, but he bit his tongue and said nothing.

They sat their silently for a while. "I should go," she finally said. Booth stood she did and she grabbed her keys but stopped when he spoke.

"Where are you going?"

"My apartment. Or, I suppose, my dad's."

"Bones, it's late and you've been drinking. I just put fresh sheets on Parker's bed. Sleep there. He won't mind."

She looked conflicted but only for a moment. "That'd be really nice. I'm very tired. I think I said this already, but you're a good guy, Booth. You really are."

"Yeah, you're tipsy," Booth muttered. He put his hand on her back and guided her to Parker's room. He left her only for a minute to find some pajamas for her. Booth came back with a pair of sweats and an old Foreigner t-shirt. He handed them to her and turned to leave. Silently, she put a hand on his bicep to stop him. She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you. I know you don't get along with Archer, no matter how much I wish you would, but please don't do anything irrational."

More than anything, he wanted to kiss her back. But the line was still there and it was as solid as ever.

She was right. But it was more than he just didn't get along with him, he could honestly say that Archer was one person he hated. He wanted to deck the guy just for making her even a little sad. Things would go a lot farther than just a punch for making her cry. But she was here. She wasn't with Archer. All Booth could hope for was that Archer was beating himself up for making her like this. Booth smiled at her and she returned it with a sad one. It broke his heart just a bit to see her so upset. She loves Archer, that much was obvious, but what she couldn't see was how wrong he was for her. If he couldn't understand her job, the most important thing in her life, then maybe Archer wasn't right for her. Booth knew who was right for her.

She said it herself; he was a good guy. He was always there for her. He understood her, knew what made her tick and knew more about her than anyone. He knew her favorite planet. Such an obscure thing to have a favorite of, but Jupiter was his favorite because it was hers. Never, in the entire time he had known her, had he made her cry on purpose. He had never set out to hurt her, to be mean to her or drag her down. Apart from Parker, he loved her more than anything else in the world. He was the better man. So what if Archer had more money, was more handsome, and didn't eat meat? Archer could go to hell. Booth knew that he was the better man, hands down, no-holds barred.

But that was the last thing she needed to hear right now.

"Goodnight, Bones. Sweet dreams."


	8. Humility

**A/N: Next up: Sloth and Charity. Just an FYI: the sins and virtues in the chapters may not always be obvious. They could be subtle like the past two have been. **

**Follow me on twitter for updates on my updates: gocubsgo1717**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Humility**

The next morning, he woke up before Bones did. After cleaning up their glasses and the bottle from the night before, he began to make breakfast. He was just getting through the first set of French toast when she emerged from Parker's room.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he greeted her before mentally kicking himself for what he said. She smiled softly and sat down at his kitchen table. He set the loaded plate in front of her, set the butter dish on the table and warmed up the syrup for her.

"Thank you for breakfast, Booth."

He took the syrup from the microwave and placed it next to her plate. While he finished his breakfast, she drizzled the warm syrup over her French toast and waited for him to sit.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, taking the seat across from her.

"I did. Thank you for letting me stay. I had sent Angela a message this morning to let her know what was going on and she was quite upset."

"Why? Because you didn't go to her instead?"

"No, Angela was more than okay with me coming to you. She's mad at Archer."

"That's understandable. So am I."

"I am still upset with him. But Angela said it helps to vent, to let my anger out."

"I thought you did that last night?"

Bones shrugged. "Apparently not the way Angela thinks is necessary. According to her, I am supposed to point out all of his flaws to make myself feel better."

"Well…do you want to vent?"

She seemed to weigh he options for a few moments. "Will you listen?"

"Of course, Bones. You talk, I'll listen."

She smiled. He could tell she already feeling better than she was last night, more pissed than sad.

"I don't know where to start."

Booth shrugged. "Just start with the thing about him that bugs you the most."

Bones took a few bites of her breakfast before saying anything. She laughed a bit before saying anything. "He eats his salads like a cow. And I'm not just saying that because you tell me when I eat a salad, I look like a cow chewing cud. He really does. He…" she took a moment to demonstrate with her jaw exactly what he does and to search for the right word "…grinds his food instead of chewing."

Booth laughed but stopped quickly. He didn't want Bones to think he was being mean.

"And he's very picky about the brand of popcorn we eat when we watch movies. And it has to be kettle corn. You don't eat kettle corn at the movies! Kettle corn is for carnivals and the fair! Not movies! And when we get ready for bed and he's done brushing his teeth, he gargles mouthwash. I mean, he really gargles it. It's obnoxious and I _hate_ that sound. It makes me sick. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he's not really a vegetarian. He has this freezer in the garage that's full of frozen meat. He claims it's for when he has family over, but Tuesdays are his days off and I'll come home from the lab on those days and there will be bloody packages in the garbage can. I can smell it. I work with death. I know blood when I smell it…"

She continued on, listing the things about Archer that just rub her the wrong way. He tried to hold back a smile, but his attempt was unsuccessful. And his grin only got wider when she returned it. Booth listened to her nitpick about random things. And he made mental reminders to avoid certain things.

"He's not like you, though."

"Huh?"

"You and Archer are nothing alike. You're brave. Archer can't watch a horror movie without finding some excuse to turn it off right before it gets too scary for him. He doesn't have a big heart like you do. He doesn't have that…odd gut feeling that you have. He-"

Booth cut her off, "Wait, I thought you didn't believe in my gut?"

"You make intuitive leaps and they're often correct. Archer isn't like that."

"I'm sure he's great, Bones. You were right last night; I'm not his biggest fan, but he's a good guy. I'm not-"

It was Bones' turn to stop him. "Yes, you are."

Booth blushed a bit and finished eating while he listened to her compare the two men in her life. Her breakfast was getting cold, but he didn't say anything. He made seconds and thirds for himself while she compared her long-term boyfriend and her long-term partner.

"His physique is nothing like yours. You are quite built compared to Archer, although it might be because he doesn't work out."

"At all?"

"At all."

"Well, the guy eats healthy so, you know, that's probably why he's pretty skinny."

"Perhaps. And he's a horrible shot. Do you remember that trip we took a couple of months ago up to Vermont a couple of months ago? There was a target archery competition at the lodge we were staying at. He came in last place."

Booth couldn't stop laughing. "That's funny, Bones!"

"Why?"

"His name is Archer. And he's horrible at archery!" Booth kept laughing and as soon as Bones understood, she began laughing as well. They laughed until they couldn't breathe. And when she emitted a sound that sounded oddly like a farm animal, they laughed even harder. It took several minutes before either of them calmed down. They hadn't laughed like that together in what seemed like years. He had missed them, but he knew at the end of the day, no matter what, she was going home to Archer. He hated that. He wanted to do this every morning, to sit in their pajamas and laugh about anything and everything. This is what he had wanted in life. But he seemed as far away from his dream than he had before. And even though Bones had implied he was a few steps ahead of Archer, the doctor won out over the agent every time.


	9. Sloth

**A/N: Another subtle one. Sloth doesn't make too much of an appearance in this; the chapter is more of a plot pusher than anything.**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Sloth**

A few days later, on a Saturday, Booth woke up with a blinding headache.

"No, no, no," he mumbled, making his way to the kitchen. It was his weekend with Parker, and he didn't want anything to put a damper on the plans he had for the day. He got a glass of water and began to go through his cabinet, looking for something to cure his throbbing head. After finding no ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or anything of the like, he took one sip and dumped the rest down the drain. Leaving the glass in the sink, Booth went back to bed. He put the blankets over his face to block out the sunlight streaming through his window. He was just about to doze back off when…

"DAD! WAKE UP!" Parker came running in and jumped on the bed, landing on the bed beside Booth.

"Bub, can we go back to sleep for just a bit longer? I got a nasty headache."

"But, Dad! You said we could go to the zoo! You promised!"

Parker's loud voice made his head pound just a bit more. "Parks, ya gotta be quiet just a little bit. Please?"

"Sorry, Dad. Are you really sick?"

"Yeah, buddy, I am."

"I'll be right back!" Parker bounced off the bed and ran out of the room. Booth put the blankets back over his face and waited for Parker to come back. It was several minutes before Parker came back. He walked in slowly and Booth could hear the rattling of plates. Booth threw the covers off to see what his son was up to. Parker was watching the plate, bowl, and cup shake on the tray he was carrying as he took each step cautiously. He moved a few things off of his dad's nightstand and put the tray down.

"Dad, I made you some of that soup you like. It's kind of early for soup but it'll help you feel better. And there's toast and crackers and some ginger ale. I put my breakfast on here too. I tried to find some medicine for your headache but I couldn't find any. Maybe instead of going to the zoo we could just hang out and watch some movies instead. I'm sorry you're sick, Dad."

"Bub, you didn't need to make all of this for me. Thank you," Booth pulled him close and hugged him, "And don't be sorry. I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to go to the zoo today. I'll make it up to you."

"It's okay, Dad. Do you wanna pick out a movie?"

"You pick something out, buddy. I'm up for anything. We just gotta keep the noise down."

"No problem, Dad." Parker bounced out the room once again in search of the perfect movie. Booth powered up the TV and DVD player. He was gone a while but Booth chalked it up to indecision. Parker came running back into the room, popped the movie in the player and then slowly climbed into his father's bed to avoid aggravating his headache. The movie started and talking toys captured Parker's attention. It wasn't until two of the toys were left at a gas station when Booth realized Parker had fallen back asleep. Muting the TV, Booth fully intended to go back to sleep until at least afternoon. He then threw his arm over his eyes and tried to sleep. But something wasn't right.

The kitchen faucet was on. Normally, he'd assume that Parker had just been careless when shutting off the sink. But then he heard the refrigerator door open and then close a few seconds later. He checked to make sure Parker was really asleep and then he took his gun from the nightstand drawer and went to investigate.

Bones stood at his sink, washing his dirty dishes and putting groceries away.

"Bones! What the hell? I could've killed you!"

She turned and smiled at him. "How's your headache?"

"It feels like Wile E. Coyote is taking a jackhammer to my brain."

"I don't know what that means."

He looked at the grocery bags. "Bones, what is all of this?"

"I was told you were out of migraine medicine, almost out of crackers and that you needed that good soup from the deli, not the canned soup you were served earlier."

Booth smiled. "Parker called you."

Bones nodded once. "He did. He told me he wants to take care of you when you're sick like you take care of him. His problem was that he was unable to get to the store for medicine so he called me and asked for help. Where is Parker?"

He jerked a thumb back toward his room. "Asleep in my bed. We turned on a movie and he fell right to sleep again. Bones, you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to, Booth. I'm glad Parker called me."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I just needed a good distraction."

"Bones, normally your bones are distraction enough for anything. What's wrong?"

She looked around as if she was paranoid someone would hear what she was about to say. "Archer's acting strange. I think he's going to break up with me," she confided to him like he was Angela. He wasn't sure what to say to her. Was this a good thing? Did she want their relationship to end? Or was she asking what she should do?

"What do you mean? What kind of strange?" It was a safe thing to say.

"He's been…distant. He hardly talks to me and he's been extremely jumpy."

"Since when are you so in tune with people's emotions?" he teased.

She smiled. "So? What do you think?"

"Are you asking me for guy advice?" Booth dropped his teasing tone, being serious about this. He wanted to help her be happy, even if it wasn't with him.

"I am. Your insights would be appreciated."

He nodded slowly. "How long has Archer been like this?"

"I would estimate it's been about two or three weeks. Length of time makes a difference?"

Booth nodded again. He was about to say something but was interrupted. "BONES!" Parker ran into the kitchen and launched himself at her. She accepted the hug and put a finger to her lips when she noticed Booth cringing. "Remember to keep your voice down, Parker. Your dad still has a headache."

"Oh. Sorry, Dad. Can we watch another movie? The first one's over," Parker whispered dramatically.

"Yeah, go set it up."

Parker trotted off to find another movie, leaving Bones and Booth in the kitchen.

"So, Booth, what do you think?"

"Well, I think Archer's being a man. You've got nothing to worry about. He's probably on his man period or something."

"That is exactly what Angela said, though men don't experience menstr-"

"Okay!" Booth interrupted her, "Let's go watch a movie. Come on, Bones."

"No, I should head to the lab."

"But, Bones! It's Saturday! People don't work on the weekends!" Parker rejoined them, "Come on. This movie is awesome. You'll love it. Please? Dad and I would really like it."

Booth and Parker looked at Bones and gave her two matching crooked grins.

"Fine," she relented, "What movie are we watching?"

Parker began to explain that the movie was the sequel to the one they had watched earlier that day and that the talking toys had to save their friend. Parker took her hand and dragged her toward Booth's bedroom. Parker crawled into bed. Booth took one side and Bones took the other. She hesitated a minute. It had been a long time since she had shared a bed with Booth. Her memories of Buck and Wanda, Tony and Roxie came flooding back. She sat on the edge of the bed while Parker started the movie. Booth could tell she was feeling uncomfortable but the more the movie progressed, the more at ease she felt. And by the time that the toys in the movie used the dinosaur's head as a battering ram, Bones and Parker were fast asleep. The lazy Saturday morning turned into a lazy Saturday afternoon. The three of them slept off and on all day. Parker slept right through lunch and Bones and Booth shared the soup from the deli for their meal. He was feeling better and his headache had disappeared. They watched the third movie in the talking toy series and before they knew it, it was well into the evening. Parker, with all of his energy built up from his naps, was bouncing off the walls, ready for anything.

"I need to get going. I told Archer we could go to dinner tonight. I'll see you on Monday, Booth. Parker, be good for your dad. I'll see you at the afterschool program, right?"

"Yep! See ya later, Bones!"

Bones pulled the door open and stepped out, but turned around quickly. "Booth?"

"What's up, Bones?"

"You're sure Archer is just on his metaphorical male menstrual cycle?" Her question was totally serious, but Booth had to stifle his laugh.

"Yeah, Bones. He's probably just cranky with some nurses at the hospital or something. You need anything, you call. Got it?"

"Yes, Booth. Thanks."

"I'll see you at work. Have a good weekend."

"You too, Booth."

She walked out the door and he hoped things would be alright. Heading back to his room where Parker was jumping on the bed, waiting to start he movie about talking cars, Booth wondered if he could read Archer without even seeing him. Was his emotions as obvious to Bones as they were to him? According to Parker and Hannah, he had acted the same way just before he-

"Dad, come on! I wanna watch the movie!"

"I'm coming, Parks. Go ahead and start it."

He joined his son in this room and flopped back down on his bed, hoping Bones would be okay.


	10. Charity

**A/N: This may not be the most obvious example of charity, but it's what came to me when I started making the outline. When I looked up the word, the vague definition was generous actions to aid the helpless…basically helping someone in need. Is Brennan someone in need? I certainly think so.**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Charity**

It was past midnight when Booth woke up to more noise in his kitchen. Parker was sound asleep, in his own bed this time. For the second time in twenty four hours, Booth took his gun from the nightstand drawer and, on light feet, went to the kitchen. He found Bones digging through a drawer, one hand searching for a bottle opener, the other holding a beer. Booth lowered his weapon and sighed.

"Bones, what are you doing here?"

"I need a drink. You're out of scotch _and _tequila. Will you open this for me? I seem to be slightly inebriated already."

Booth stepped forward and took the bottle from her. She smelled like tequila. He was tempted to put the beer back in the fridge but he popped the cap off and handed it back to her. Her smeared makeup and her red eyes were indicators that she had been crying.

"What'd he do?" Booth asked angrily, wondering what Archer had done wrong to make her so upset.

"He proposed."

Her words rolled over him and he had to sit. He couldn't say he was shocked. He had seen it coming, but it was still surprising to him. He glanced to her left hand. There was no ring on her finger, which helped him breathe just a little easier.

"And you said?"

She dug in her pocket and pulled a ring out of her pocket that Booth estimated was worth at least a year of his salary. "I said yes."

It wasn't what he expected from her, but she had changed in the past two years. "Well," he stood up again and pulled her into a hug, "I guess I should say congratulations."

"This isn't right, Booth," she said, pushing him away, but he didn't drop his arms. He wanted to keep his arms around her as long as possible.

"What-"

"I don't want to marry Archer," she began crying again.

"Then why-"

"I don't know! I had been trying to think rationally about what I would say if he ever asked me. I could never figure it out so when he asked, I just said…yes. But it felt all wrong. This is not how I imagined I would feel when, and if, I ever decided to get married. I imagined I'd feel…happy. Or excited. And now I feel overwhelmed and trapped and…I don't like feeling like this is wrong. I should be feeling happy, right?"

"Yes," was all he could say.

"I'm not happy. I need to tell him no. I need to tell him I gave him the wrong answer. I have to go."

"Not now, Bones. You need to sleep on it and really think. You must've said yes for some reason, right?"

"I thought so too at first and now…now I don't know."

She sighed and sat down. She wiped away her tears with the back of her and waited for Booth to give her some much needed advice.

"Stay. We can drink, talk, whatever, but I don't want you to any rash decisions tonight. It's late and you need to sleep."

"I need to drink." She finished off the beer in her hand and got up to get another. Bones grabbed one for Booth as well. They sat quietly for a while, drinking their beer and thinking.

"This is all wrong," Bones finally said.

"You mean the fact that you just got engaged and you're hanging out with another man. That is kinda wrong, Bones," Booth joked.

"No, I mean…Archer."

"You mean…"

"We're not right for each other."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"But you guys have been dating for…years!"

"Not years, Booth. Eighteen months."

"You're in love with him."

"I love him. But I've been told that loving someone and being in love with someone is not the same."

He pondered her words and wondered what she meant by them. Booth didn't say anything. He wanted to be a good friend and to tell her go back to Archer and talk things over, to see if marrying him was the right choice. But he couldn't get the words out of his mouth.

"I can't miss out on second chances, Booth. That'd just be another regret I'd have to shoulder. I need to go, Booth. I have to talk to Archer." She stood and picked up the ring. Bones looked it over, slid it onto her fourth finger of her right hand and admired the sight. And then, as if the metal burned her skin, she pulled it off and shoved it back into her pocket. "I'll call you, Booth." She walked out without another word.

* * *

After Sunday mass the next morning, Parker spotted Bones' car in their parking lot. When the Booth boys walked into the apartment, the smell of breakfast instantly penetrated their noses.

"Aw, Bones! You're the best!" Parker greeted her as he sat down at the kitchen table. There were fresh blueberry muffins, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage links, donuts, and cups of coffee and hot chocolate. Two plates were set and Parker immediately began to dig in.

"Bones, you didn't need to do this," Booth said, loosening his tie, "You baked enough muffins to start your own bakery. I had heard baking was a way to grieve, but…"

"I wanted to," she said curtly. Bones flipped another pancake over in the skillet and then swiftly added it to the stack that was already on the table. Booth realized she hadn't changed clothes from yesterday, she still reeked of tequila and her face was blotched from crying.

"Parker, why don't you load up a plate or two and take it into the living room. Turn on some cartoons and I'll be there in a second."

"Okay!" With at least a little of everything stacked on his plate, Parker ran off to find something on TV.

When Booth knew Parker was distracted, he asked, "Did you talk to Archer?"

She nodded once and sniffled. "I gave Archer the ring back, loaded my things into my car and came straight here."

"Bones, you haven't slept! I'll finish the pancakes. Go sleep. I'll make sure Parker keeps the volume on the TV down." He reached for the spatula, but she yanked it away.

"Go eat breakfast before it gets cold," Bones told him.

"I'll take you over to your place."

She shook her head. "The lease on my apartment was up last month. Dad moved out and bought a condo in North Carolina to be closer to Hayley and Emma. The rest of my things that Dad isn't using at his new place are in a storage unit."

"You're staying here. I'll go out, get some clean clothes for you and then you are going to shower and sleep. You need to take care of yourself too, Bones."

Booth told Parker he was heading down to the car for a second and then retrieved her bag from the passenger seat of her car. Somehow, Booth managed to get the rest of the pancake batter away from her and herded her toward the bathroom. Giving her a set of towels and starting the shower for her, he instructed to take a shower as long as she wanted and to not worry about the mess in the kitchen. He left her alone and cleaned up the kitchen.

"Dad, what's wrong with Bones? She seems really sad."

"She is, bub. We just gotta help her out for now. She might be staying for a while, is that alright?"

"Duh! Dad, can I have some more bacon? I'm still hungry."

"Still?" Booth laughed and tossed a few more bacon strips on his plate. The shower had been running for a long time and Booth was beginning to worry, but he finished cleaning the kitchen anyway and putting the extra food back in the fridge. He filled his own plate and went into the living room. Parker's ear was pressed to the bathroom door.

"Parker! What are you doing?"

"Sorry, but I think Bones is crying, Dad. I want to go make her feel better, but…she's in the shower," Parker whispered.

"Go watch TV, Parks. I got this." Once Parker had run off, Booth put his own ear to the door. She was in fact crying, a sound he didn't hear too much, but he could identify it anywhere. He knocked on the door a few times. "Bones? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Booth." Her voice was muffled through the sound of the shower and the door. "I'll be out in just a few minutes." And, just like that, she turned off the running water. He gave her privacy and went to find Parker. She opened the door a few minutes later dressed in clean pajamas.

"Booth, I, uh, I think I'm going to go take a nap."

"Go ahead, Bones. We'll be right out here if you need anything."

Parker jumped up and ran to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "I hope you feel better soon, Bones." She knelt down to give him a proper hug in return.

"Thank you, Parker." The younger Booth smiled and kissed Bones on the cheek before going back to the couch to watch cartoons. She smiled and looked at her partner. He was grinning.

"Go nap, Bones. I'll be here when you wake up."

* * *

Booth woke up on the couch with a kink in his neck. The TV was playing an annoying cartoon that featured a kid with a high pitched voice. It bugged him, so he hit mute and went in search of his son. Somewhat unsurprisingly, he found Parker curled up next to Bones in his bed. He checked the time. Rebecca would be there soon to pick him up and the last thing he wanted to deal with was having to deal with an angry ex for letting their son sleep for too long. Maybe he wouldn't get to bed that night at a decent time, but he hated to disturb them. Bones had one arm wrapped protectively across his chest and Parker's head rested on her shoulder. Booth started to poke Parker, trying to wake him without waking Bones.

"Leave him," Bones said, without opening her eyes.

"He has to wake up for his mom."

"Daaaaad!" Parker whined, keeping his eyes closed as well.

"Your mom is going to be here soon. Go make sure you have everything packed. I don't want to have to bring you an action figure or part of your homework at six o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir." Parker began to roll out of bed but quickly returned.

"Bones, do me a favor?"

"What is it, Parker?"

"Let my dad take care of you."


	11. Greed

**A/N: Next up: Chastity and Lust. I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas.**

**MaliBearsBuddy and lalaurala-bones: I hope his little speech lives up to your expectations :)**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Greed**

In the weeks since Archer's proposal and her refusal, Bones had been staying with Booth. Her things were scattered around the apartment, her toiletries had taken over the bathroom and her clothes hung next to his in the closet. He refused to let her sleep in Parker's room or on the couch. They shared his bed. They started off each night on their own side, their backs to each other. But they always woke up in the morning with her head on his chest and his arms wrapped around her. Neither said anything when they woke and they steered clear of the topic during the day.

Much like his friends were there for him during his breakup, they were all there for her. Angela and Cam took her out on weekends to keep her mind off of things while Jack and Wendell constantly plotted Archer's demise while at work.

All in all, she recovered from the breakup with hardly any bumps in the road. There were the occasional meltdowns that occurred in the privacy of Booth's apartment and he was there to help her back up. She insisted it wasn't necessary for him to help her. I was never there for you, she had rationally told him. It doesn't matter, he then retorted, you were there for me whether it was in the background or not. Parker's weekend visits always help. Booth could tell how much she loved his son. She had more fun with him than she did with Angela and Cam. She knew all of his favorite movies, games and the songs he loved to sing. Booth loved seeing them together and as long as Bones was happy, then all was right in his world.

They had just wrapped a case, one that had taken an emotional toll on them. It was an unusually warm fall night and the air conditioner was on the fritz. Their attire had the past few days had consisted of short shorts and tank tops for her and gym shorts and no shirts for him.

"You coming to bed soon?" he asked. Booth was well aware of how domestic it sounded, but they had shared the same bed for days on end now and she seemed to be fine with the situation.

"I might sleep on the floor tonight. The hard floor will be cooler than sleeping on sheets."

"Bones, that can't be good for your back! Come on, we'll put those fans on and I'll turn the ice maker back on and I'll take all of the other blankets off. It's bed time, Bones."

He stripped the excess blankets from the bed and flopped down. He patted the empty space next to him and after turning off the lights, she reluctantly lay next to him. Neither of them fell asleep and for a long time and they both stared up at the ceiling until Bones finally broke the silence. "I think I found an apartment. I can be out of here by next week."

Her words caused a rollercoaster. His heart dropped from his chest down to his stomach, did loops around his liver and went back up toward his lungs. Did she want to leave? Did she not like it here? Things seemed fine. But he was thinking of everything in terms of a personal relationship. Was she thinking of things in terms of a work partnership?

"You don't need to leave, Bones. Parker and I love having you here." Throwing out Parker's name kept things neutral, in case she was afraid again of relationships.

"I love spending time here, but I feel bad for encroaching on your space."

"You're not. Do you want me to stay?"

Booth shrugged, but in the dark room, he wondered if she could see it. "Only if you want."

"Are you asking me to move in?"

"You kinda already have," he joked.

"Sweets was right."

"Huh?"

"Dr. Sweets told us a long time ago that we have a surrogate relationship due. Normally, I think psychology is-"

"A load of bologna?" Booth filled in.

"In the vernacular, yes, but now, I believe he is right. We have all of the aspects of a romantic relationship without the actual romance."

"Does that bother you?"

"It bothers you," she said knowingly.

"Second chances, Bones. There's still a chance."

She didn't say anything and she didn't move. Booth couldn't tell if she was even breathing.

"For us?" she breathed.

"I haven't given up on it," he confessed.

"Neither have I."

He rolled over and kissed her. She kissed back and didn't push away. He kissed along her jaw and down to her neck. Her tank top gave him easy access to other patches of exposed skin. Kissing down her shoulder and across her chest, she grew anxious to feel his lips again and guided him back up. She rolled them and took her turn exploring his body.

She was nibbling on his ear when she pulled back and said, "I don't want to have sexual intercourse with you."

"I don't either."

He saw the mildly hurt look on her face and then explained, "I don't want to rush this. And I know you don't want to either."

"You're correct."

"But that doesn't mean we can't make out like two teenagers in the back of a movie theater."

"I don't understand."

Booth didn't bother explaining. He was too busy with other, more important things.

* * *

The next morning, the two went to work as normal, but both were left wondering where exactly their relationship stood.

Knowing she was determined to identify a set of remains she had began working on the day before, Booth stopped at the Diner to pick up a sandwich for Bones. As he walked up the block, he was surprised to see her in the window. He expected to see Angela sitting across from her, but was shocked to see someone else. He walked up to the table and could barely believe what he was seeing.

"Sully?"

The former agent looked up at Booth and smiled. "Agent Booth! It's good to see you!"

Booth tried to act like this didn't change anything, like seeing her with her ex didn't make him crazy with jealousy. "Yeah, you too, man. What are you doing back in town?"

"Home to visit family."

"I ran into Sully while I stopped to pick up lunch," she explained the situation.

"Join us, Booth," Sully gestured to the open seat next to Bones.

"Nah, I gotta get back to the Hoover. I forgot I have…things to do. Nice to see you, Sully. I'll, uh, see you later, Bones."

He ran out of the Diner and back to his car without looking back at them. He was scared, scared she wanted to go back to him, scared she didn't really want a second change, scared he had pushed to far last night and she was running. But he then realized…she had kissed back. So was she just playing with him? Was he her rebound?

* * *

He was glad that, for once, she beat him home. He walked into his apartment to find her cooking dinner. And the water on the stove for the pasta wasn't the only thing boiling. His blood felt hotter than anything he could've imagined. She turned to him. "Hey."

He didn't respond, only watched her for a bit while she moved about the kitchen preparing food for them. She must've felt his eyes on her because she turned around and stared back. "What's wrong, Booth?"

Booth crossed the kitchen and put his hands on the counter behind her, effectively trapping her. She looked scared for a moment, but returned his red hot gaze.

"I'm not okay with being your rebound. And I'm not okay with sharing you. I'm not going to share you with Sully, just like that botanist and that deep sea welder weren't okay with sharing. You know what? You're mine. I don't give a damn if you don't want to be, because it works both ways. You're mine. I'm yours. It's not going to change, Bones. So you can run, again, if you want. I don't care because I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for you, no matter what. Because that's what you do when you belong to someone. You belong to me. And I belong to you. It's always been that way, Bones. And it'll stay that way. It's as simple as that."

"Booth, I-"

"Hold on, Bones. I'm not done yet. Sully will probably leave again, go sailing off again on his boat-"

"Booth, Sully's left already. And I'm not going to run."

"You're not."

"No. And you'll never have to share me."

"Why?"

"You said so yourself; I'm yours. Only yours."


	12. Chastity

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update. Bit of writer's block, the holidays and injuries were the problems. If there are any mistakes, I'm going to blame it on the pain meds. Thanks to my twitter pals, Mali Bear's Buddy, for helping me come up with the rest of the story, and lalaurala-bones, for keeping me entertained :)**

**Next: Lust**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Chastity**

The odd fall heat wave hadn't broken and it was still hotter than hell in Booth's apartment. One Tuesday afternoon, he took the afternoon off, giving Hacker the excuse that he had someone coming over to fix his air conditioner. In all actuality, he hoped his air was never fixed. In spite of her normal cleanliness, Bones had let her laundry pile up. She had enough clothes to last her a couple of months; laundry was the least of her worries. But when she ran out of pajamas, she ransacked his dresser and confiscated his gym clothes. He loved watching her in his basketball shorts, the way the nylon fabric hit just at her knee cap and showed off her shaped calves.

He stopped at the grocery store to pick up ingredients for dinner and then hightailed it home to get started. She had promised to leave the lab when the clock struck five. Spending the afternoon working on his version of her macaroni and cheese, the temperature in the small apartment rose with the use of the oven and stove. He lost track of time and when Bones walked in the door at six, he hardly noticed how late she was.

"Dr. Hodgins and Dr. Bray conducted an experiment that went wrong. All of the alarms went off and no one was allowed to leave."

He started to say something, but she cut him off. "I'm going to put on something more comfortable." She gave him a sly smile and a quick kiss before disappearing into the bedroom. When she emerged, he was pulling the main dish from the oven. He was still hunched over the oven door, checking to make sure the food was thoroughly baked when he caught a glimpse of her toned leg that seemed to never end. He followed the exposed skin with his eyes until he lost sight where the nightgown stopped at her upper thigh. As he attempted to pull himself from his thoughts, he bobbled the dish and it toppled to the floor, destroying their dinner and the dish it was in.

Booth's mind snapped out of the gutter and back to reality. "Sonova-" Knowing he already had to go to confession for thinking those impure thoughts, he censored himself and began cleaning it up.

"I don't have a back up," Booth confessed, "Since there's not much salvageable here, what do you want for dinner?"

"Chinese?"

"Again?"

"We haven't had it in a week!"

"We have Chinese all the time! Thai?"

"No, _that's_ what we eat all the time. Order a pizza. Veggie on my half."

She left the kitchen, leaving him alone with his thoughts and to finish the clean up. He watched her disappear, those long legs carrying her to the living room.

"God help me," he muttered. Booth's mind began a train of thought set firmly on the prayers of the rosary and bible verses which somehow morphed into thoughts of her legs wrapped around his waist, her back pinned against the wall.

He threw the remnants of the dish into the trash can with more force than necessary, his sexual frustration showing itself. He called the pizza place and ordered their food. He paced in the kitchen for a while, flipping his poker chip in his pocket, trying to calm himself down. She appeared in the doorway, holding a slice of pizza.

"Are you going to come eat?" Bones asked him, taking a bite. Sauce dripped down her lip. She licked it off and it took all of his self-control not to haul her off to the bedroom right then and there. He closed his eyes, said a prayer and opened them again. She had leaned against the door and was eating her pizza, which meant…

"Bones! You answered the door like that?"

She shrugged. "I asked you to get it but you wouldn't answer me. I wanted my pizza."

"You're not wearing any clothes!"

"My clothing covered…enough." She sauntered back into the living room without waiting for his response.

"Bones, can you at least…put some shorts on? Or maybe cover up a bit?

She raised a questioning eyebrow and looked him over. "Why?"

"Because I can't focus! You're all…and I'm…Can you please just-" Booth grabbed a blanket and tossed it over her lap as he sat next to her, "There! Now, maybe I can eat and not-"

"Think about sexual intercourse?" She kicked the blanket off and tossed her slice back in the box. Bones swung a leg over his hips and straddled him. She went straight for his neck, kissing and nibbling his skin. He dropped his head back, feeling powerless. He felt her lips turn up into a grin when she rubbed up against his-

"Bones!" He pushed her off of him and onto the sofa. "Don't you think we're moving too fast?"

"If you ask Dr. Sweets or Angela, they'd say we're quite behind schedule." His slight outburst didn't deter her and Bones moved back toward him, starting with his mouth this time instead of his neck. It was hard to resist, but he did what he used to do in high school: Think of his grandmother when things moved too fast with a girl.

"Bones," he said between kisses, "we gotta chill out."

"Why?" She kissed him hard and her hands hiked up her nightgown just a little more before sliding under his shirt.

"Because, we've hardly been on any dates! And tonight was supposed to count!"

"We ordered in. I'd say this counts."

"We should take this slow. Things moved too fast with Hannah. And with Archer," Booth noticed Bones' demeanor change from turned on to pissed off when he said her ex's name, "I don't want things between us end up like it did with them."

She had stopped kissing him but hadn't moved from her spot in his lap. "We were in what Sweets called a surrogate relationship for years. I've wanted to have sexual intercourse with you for all that time and now…Now you won't do with me!"

"Bones, you're being a little overdramatic."

She pouted and he chuckled. Booth kissed her, hoping that would satisfy her long enough so he could eat the now lukewarm pizza. He tried to reach around her to the pizza sitting on the coffee table but was more than mildly distracted when she pulled her nightgown over her shoulders and then removed his shirt. Once her skin was against his, he couldn't stop. He lifted her and started to carry her toward the bed, but when she wrapped her legs around his waist, his fantasy from earlier came floating back and he pinned her to the nearest wall, kissing her until they were both breathless. She moved her lips down to his neck, giving him a chance to catch his breath. A few inches away, a shelf held a picture that captured Booth's attention. His grandmother smiled back at him and he realized what was going on. He pulled back and caught Bones before she dropped to the floor.

Booth ran a hand over his jaw and looked back and forth between the picture and his girlfriend.

"Booth! What the-"

He started muttering before he walked away, "A cold shower…that's what I need. Sorry, Gran."


	13. Lust

**A/N: This one's for my Twitter pal, Mali Bear's Buddy! I hope you feel better soon! Maybe this will cheer you up :)**

**Only one more after this!**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

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**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Lust**

Seeley Booth opened his eyes the next morning and decided that he was going to wake up to this sight the rest of life. At the moment, Booth's position on the bed gave him the perfect view into the bathroom as his girlfriend stepped out of the shower. He ogled her curves until-

"Booth! Quit it!" Bones yelled, covering herself with a towel quickly. He chuckled to himself as he tossed off the covers and joined her in the bathroom. He swept her into his arms and trapped her between his bare chest and the cold wall. He stared her down, hoping she would toss in the towel or maybe, literally, drop it. He put one hand on the wall, over her shoulder, and kept one on her back.

"I have to get ready for work," she told him, not intimidated by his gaze.

"We have time," he mumbled, dropping his lips on to hers. He felt her give in a bit, felt her body melt into his. But, much to his dismay, the towel stayed right where it was and she pulled away.

"Taking it slow, remember?" She grinned, ducked under his arm and slipped back into the bedroom. He groaned inwardly and started the shower for himself.

He had spent the night before fighting off her advances, dreamt during the night of her skin on his, her lips on his, and now he was being punished.

Karma's a real mean bitch.

Booth got in the shower, hoping the cold temperature of the water would take his mind elsewhere. But he had barely begun rinsing out his shampoo when he saw her figure through the shower curtain. He peeked out and saw her standing at the sink in nothing but a lacey pair of panties and a matching bra. The sight made him week at the knees and his head spin. She was tapping one foot and bobbing her head to whatever tune she was humming while she applied her makeup. His quick peek turned into a long stare and when she was done touching up the bit of mascara she smudged on her eyelid, she stole a glance at him from his reflection in the mirror and tossed him a saucy grin.

It was then he realized that his plan to make things work between them, to take things slow…wasn't going to work.

* * *

His phone rang, signaling a text and it provided just enough distraction to take the edge off of the dull happenings at the J. Edgar Hoover building.

_Report on the Kincaid case is done. –Bones_

**I'll be over in five –Booth**

_Dinner?_

**Definitely.**

_The Diner?_

**No.**

_Founding Fathers?_

**Nope.**

_Then where?_

**Home.**

_We hardly have food. We need to get groceries._

**I'm not hungry for food, babe.**

_Don't call me that. Besides, you're moving awfully fast for someone who wants to go slow._

**I don't want to go slow. I spoke too soon.**

_Well, maybe now I want to go slow._

He could just picture the evil grin on her face. And he didn't know if he wanted to shake her senseless or to kiss away that grin that he knew she was sporting right now. He had put her through torture the night before and now she was on a mission to do the same to him.

**Do you?**

_Maybe._

**You're lying, Dr. Brennan.**

_I am not! But I am not having sexual intercourse with you._

**Fine. But you should know I'm the one not having sex with you.**

_Oh, really?_

**Yeah, and you're going to have to bring me that report after supper. Sweets and I are headed to the Diner now.**

_That works well because Angela and I are going to dinner._

**Alright, well I'll see you later.**

_Yes. You will._

* * *

While he and Sweets spent dinner time talking about the psychology of Booth and Bones' professional relationship, Bones and Angela plotted. The women were eating at Founding Fathers, hoping to steer clear from Booth so he wouldn't over hear their plans. The two ate quickly, before setting their plan in action. Booth, on the other hand, was trying his hardest to avoid talking about his budding personal relationship with the anthropologist with their therapist.

"Can I ask you something, Booth?"

"That depends, Sweets. And you better watch what you say."

"Have you and Dr. Brennan consummated your relationship yet?"

"Thank you, Dr. Sweets," Booth threw his hands up in the air, "You might as well just announce it to the whole restaurant!"

Sweets blushed. "Sorry."

"And not that it's any of your business, but no, we haven't. We're taking it slow." He hated that word. That four letter word that never used to mean anything, but suddenly meant the difference in the most important aspect of his life.

"Hmmm…" Sweets began analyzing the situation in his head before he spoke.

"No! Don't you do that, Sweets! No profiling us, or anything like that."

Sweets knew defeat when it hit him. "Fine. I'm just warning you, Dr. Brennan has a mean streak, and if a certain level of…satisfaction isn't reached, there will be hell to pay."

"Yeah, okay, Sweets," Booth said, dismissing him, "I have to get back. Bones is dropping off her report soon. I'll see you later, kid."

"Good luck!"

* * *

It was getting late and Bones still hadn't arrived. The sun had set and the clock ticked past quitting time. But, he sat in his chair, feet up on the corner of his desk, lounging and reading Charlie's report as he waiting for Bones. He heard a cat call from the bullpen and lowered the folder slightly to see what was causing the commotion. Bones and Angela came sauntering through the bullpen to his office. She had a file in her hand, but that wasn't what Booth was focused on. Her dress hugged her curves tighter than that stretchy yoga outfit he had seen her in and her heels added at least three inches to her height. The deep red color made her eyes catch fire and Booth had to do more than resist the urge to clear off his desk and take her right there. He gripped the arm of the chair until he dragged his eyes away from her body and up to her eyes.

"Here's the report, Booth. Don't wait up tonight. Angela's taking me to this new dance club over in Arlington."

"You're going dressed like that?" he managed to spit out.

"Yes, I haven't had a chance to wear this yet and Angela says it's perfect."

"It is!" Angela made her way into the conversation, "Come on, Sweetie. I want to dance."

Bones nodded and took a step around the desk. She leaned over, giving Booth a slightly intentional view of her chest. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"It's too bad we're taking things slow," she whispered in his ear, letting her lips linger for a while. He watched them walk out, speechless and powerless to do anything.

She was toying with him, getting inside his head. And it was working. She was winning the battle of wit and libidos. But there was no way he was going to let her win the war.


	14. Temperance

**A/N: I want to say thanks to Mali Bear's Buddy and lalaurala-bones. Both of you kept me entertained for countless hours on Twitter and I'm so glad to have made new friends like you two :) Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and this story. I hope you enjoy this last chapter.**

**The 'virtue' in this chapter isn't quite like the others, as you'll hopefully notice :)**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**

**Temperance**

Booth paced around his living room, waiting for her to come home from the club. He didn't know what to expect, whether she'd come home plastered as a college girl or sober as an AA sponsor. He had watched her walk out of his office earlier that night and he had wanted to follow. He had decided against it, knowing better than to cause a riff between them over something seemingly trivial.

Messing with Bones was like playing with fire. You're gonna get burned. And that's exactly what had happened. He denied her the night before and now that he wanted more a more physical aspect to their relationship, she was fighting back.

And it turned him on even more. The whole 'I'm-yours-but-you-can't-have-me' thing she had going on just riled him up even more. He felt more strung up than he ever had.

But, as he had already decided, this was war.

She was leading him on, playing hard-to-get, in a way and it drove him nuts. Booth knew this game they were playing could last forever, but he wasn't sure if he'd survive. When Bones put her mind to something, there was no way you could get her to change it. And now she was getting revenge. She wouldn't stop until she was satisfied.

And he had a plan to make her surrender.

* * *

It was early morning when she came home. Her footsteps sounded strong, not the wobbly stumbles one would see with an inebriated individual. Lights were off in their apartment and Booth feigned sleep in their bed. She moved through the apartment swiftly, making sure all lights were off and the door was locked before she moved through the bathroom and back to the bedroom. When she saw his closed eyes, she slipped off her heels right there so the solid thumps of the stilettos against the wood floor wouldn't wake him. She ditched the shoes by the closet and parted with her dress in exchange for a silky pajama set.

She lifted the covers and slid into bed next to him. Booth was doing his best to pretend to be asleep. He kept his breathing even and had to resist rolling over to look at her. She moved closer to him on the bed and began to kiss his skin gently. Booth acted like she was waking him with her lips on his skin and by the time she made her way up to his lips, his eyes were open and his mouth had curved into a smile.

"Mmm, hey, Bones. Have fun with Angela?"

She kissed him fully and he returned it.

"I did. But I'm glad I'm home."

She kissed him just a little harder this time, hoping he'd respond.

"I'm glad you're home."

He kissed her quickly one last time and rolled over, his back facing her. He heard her scoff quietly and he smiled, knowing her plan was working. Bones repeated her process again, hoping she would be more successful this time. When he turned on his back, he kissed her quickly and said, "I think it's good we're going slow. Shows how committed we are to each other."

He pulled her close to his body and held her as if to say he was done with the kissing and the touching and was ready for sleep. She was frustrated. He wondered if she had initiated a plan to get him to change his mind. If she had, it wasn't working. He smiled softly, kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Bones."

"Yeah, 'Night."

They both laid there for a while and just as Booth was about to start the next part of his plan, she threw the covers back and got out of bed. Now it was Booth's turn to be confused. He listened to her footsteps. She paced through the apartment for a bit before settling in the kitchen. He heard the freezer open and shut, ice cubes drop into a glass and the sound of a smooth liquid being poured. On light sniper feet, Booth snuck through the bathroom and into the living room. He saw her sitting at the table, sipping a glass of scotch and looking madder than a hornet.

"You okay?"

Bones jumped. She hadn't seen him there and his presence surprised her. She took a quick sip of the alcohol and glanced at him quickly before looking away.

"I'm fine."

"You're upset." It was a statement, an observation. Something was wrong and Booth knew it had to be his fault.

"I would really prefer if you would just make a decision for once."

Her tone meant he was in trouble. Had he taken the game too far?

"You mean…"

"Do you want to have sexual intercourse with me or not?" As always, she was as blatant as ever. He was used to it, of course, but the impatience in her voice threw him for a loop.

"Of course I do!"

She crooked one eyebrow as if to challenge him.

"I do!" he squawked, "You know I do! I just want to make sure this is the right next step for us."

"Booth, I've realized that we don't do anything like normal couples! The whole notion of a 'next step' for us is completely obliterated! We don't do things like Angela and Dr. Hodgins or Cam and Paul-"

"They're not normal, either!" Booth countered.

She huffed. "You are so…frustrating! I can't tell what you want Booth! Archer was predictable! I could tell Angela something about Archer and she would tell me exactly what that meant. I figured him out very quickly. My skills in reading people's emotions and actions have improved significantly, but you…I can't read you! I don't know what you want. You don't want to have sexual intercourse and then you do! Your actions give me more than enough evidence to show me you love me, but you don't say it. The proof is confusing, contradicting sometimes. I'm not used to not understanding evidence. I need you to give me more than circumstantial evidence! I need more than just wanting to go slow to show commitment. I'm more than committed to you. I used to be scared of being with someone. And now I'm scared to be alone. I don't have any control over my feelings anymore. I can't compartmentalize like I used to. I love you, Booth and I need proof that what happened with Archer isn't going to happen again."

"It's not."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm not Archer."

"Well, I know that," she said, giving him a small smile, "You're much more handsome."

He returned her smile with a cocky grin. "Really?"

"Yes."

"I love you, too, ya know."

He leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was slow at first but it quickly heated up. He pulled her up from the chair, giving him better access to her. His hands slid under her shirt and she moaned against his lips at the touch of his hands on her skin. She decided to wax poetic and whispered into his kiss, "Take me to bed or lose me forever."

He laughed heartily and crouched down, sweeping her off her feet and over his shoulder.

"Booth, let me go!" She thrashed in his arms until he dropped her on the bed.

"Never."


End file.
